Pittsburgh steel themselves for Pats
Absence of experienced quarterback Roethlisberger hands advantage to New England
>> NEW YORK: New England’s visit to Pittsburgh today looked spicy until Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger damaged his knee, and suddenly this takes on the look of another Patriots romp — particularly if the Steel Curtain that was ripped apart by Miami doesn’t mend itself very quickly.
“Not to say we weren’t focused last week, but losing the game the way we did, in the fashion that we did, kind of opened people’s eyes and let them know that you can get beat on any given week, no matter the team you’re playing,” said Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, who will really need to step up with Roethlisberger sidelined.
Roethlisberger has been ruled out for the game against New England after undergoing arthroscopic left knee surgery on Monday and was expected to miss two or three weeks but reportedly that timetable could drag into four to six weeks.
“Doc says my knee looked good, but there still was some stuff in there from when I had my bone bruise last season in St Louis,” Roethlisberger said.
“He said that might keep me out a little longer. Maybe an extra week or so. But there’s no way to put an exact timetable on it. It all depends on my pain and how I feel.”
Reserve Landry Jones will start in place of “Big Ben” against the Patriots and would now be seen as the likely starter for the Steelers after a bye week against Baltimore.
Roethlisberger, 34, was hurt in last week’s 30-15 loss to Miami.
The backstory makes Houston’s visit to Denver tomorrow interesting.
Brock Osweiler, expected to replace the retired Peyton Manning as Broncos quarterback, instead went to the Texans for US$72 million.
He returns to the Mile High City, where he shouldn’t expect a kind reception from the fans.
Nor from the Broncos, who are in a nasty mood after dropping two straight games.
They still have a defence that can be dominant, and the Texans have been among the most inconsistent teams in the league, despite their 4-2 win-loss record.
With JJ Watt gone for the season, Houston are getting solid work from 2014 top overall pick and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who’s tied for the NFL lead with eight tackles for loss.
Meanwhile, Sam Bradford is thinking more about reconnecting with old friends than sticking it to the Philadelphia Eagles team that traded him eight days before the NFL season opened.
The quarterback returns to Philadelphia for the first time since his abrupt departure when he leads the unbeaten Minnesota Vikings to Lincoln Financial Field today.
“I really developed some close bonds with those guys,” Bradford said. “When you spend so much time with the guys in the building and you put the time in to build those relationships on and off the field and then it just comes to an end without really having a chance to say goodbye or to go out on the field one last time to play with those guys, there’s always a little part of you that you’re a little down about that.”
Bradford has thrived in Minnesota (5-0) after taking a crash course in yet another new offence — he’s playing for his sixth offensive coordinator in seven seasons. Bradford leads the NFL with a 70.4 percent completion rate, and has taken 249 snaps without a turnover.
But he still has found time to keep a close eye on the Eagles and the guy who replaced him, rookie No.2 overall pick Carson Wentz.
“I enjoy watching them play and I enjoy watching them have success,” Bradford said. “I’ve tried to watch as much as possible. From what Carson has done... it really doesn’t surprise me.”
Wentz started fast but the Eagles (3-2) have lost two in a row — both on the road — following an early bye. Though he has exceeded expectations so far, Wentz has also shown his inexperience.